I had planned to bring with me today an authentic Irish Soda Bread. I had done some research. I could’ve told you that soda bread first appeared in Ireland in the 19th century, when baking soda was invented; that caraway seeds are strictly optional; that raisins make traditional Irish Soda Bread more Americanized; that sometimes, when raisins are added, the bread is called “Spotted Dog”; and that the cross you slash into the bread before baking is really less of a religious symbol than a handy outline for portioning the loaf once it’s baked.
But at some point, deep in my research, I came across Brown Butter Soda Bread. Now. Brown butter can stop me in my tracks, but when I clicked the link and read the recipe—Rosemary! Black Pepper! Oats!—I remembered the complicated relationship I’d had with Irish Soda Bread as a child, loving the taste but also being just the tiniest bit disgusted by the combination of raisins and caraway. Maybe I overdid it one time and swore I would never eat Irish soda bread again or something; not that I remember anything like that ever happening…
The rosemary flavor is subtle, but the fragrance wafts from the loaf as you break it apart, inviting you—No, when you smell this rosemary, buttermilk scented bread, it demands you dig in; it holds you hostage, helpless, because it knows you have no power to resist.
Then there’s the black pepper. If you’re not a fan of the spice, you could always reduce the amount, or omit it altogether, and I think you’d still have a great bread; but to me, the black pepper is icing on the cake. A heaping spoonful to the dough, plus a sprinkling on top, provides heat throughout, allowing every bite a peppery pop. With the proper Irish “lashing” of good butter slathered onto each slice, it’s the perfect combination of rich and spicy.
Rosemary Brown Butter Soda Bread
from Bon Appétit, February 2006
makes 2 loaves
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper plus additional for topping
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
1 egg white, beaten to blend
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Stir butter in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until melted and golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Stir flour, oats, sugar, rosemary, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper in large bowl to blend. Pour buttermilk and melted browned butter over flour mixture; stir with fork until flour mixture is moistened.
Turn dough out onto floured work surface. Knead gently until dough comes together, about 7 turns. Divide in half. Shape each half into ball; flatten each into 6-inch round. Place rounds on ungreased baking sheet, spacing 5 inches apart. Brush tops with beaten egg white. Sprinkle lightly with ground black pepper. Using small sharp knife, cut 1/2-inch-deep X in top of each dough round.
Bake breads until deep golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool breads on rack at least 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Baker’s Wisdom:
You’ll get the most tender soda bread by kneading the dough gently and briefly, just until it comes together, so the gluten is minimally developed.
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March 13, 2010 at 12:27 am
I love the fresh rosemary images. I have a recipe for Irish soda bread from an English cookbook my British aunt recommended (How to Cook by Delia Smith) that uses steel cut oats, some whole wheat flour and wheat germ (she claims it is the real deal…no caraway seeds or raisins, as you mentioned were optional), but I haven’t made it in a long time, but it is very good and this made me think how I should bake a loaf to go with some soup before it gets too warm to enjoy heating up my oven. I adore breads with rosemary and black pepper, and rosemary is one of the few fresh herbs still thriving out in our herb garden this time of year, so this sounds like a very nice variation. Your blog is beautiful.
March 13, 2010 at 8:55 am
That is a beautiful loaf of bread!
March 13, 2010 at 3:07 pm
Thanks, Mom! :D
March 13, 2010 at 10:30 pm
This looks good! The brown butter sounds incredible.
March 14, 2010 at 6:40 pm
Such a talent to make good soda bread. This looks scrumptious!!
Great photos!
March 14, 2010 at 9:10 pm
Thanks, Shari!
March 17, 2010 at 2:38 pm
Mmm, that looks good. I think I might make it today, St Patrick’s day is very fitting!
I’ve never been much of a fan for the raisin and caraway combination either, so I tend to go without the raisins. But brown pepper, black pepper AND rosemary? That sounds like a combination I can work with.
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! Sláinte!
March 17, 2010 at 9:25 pm
I love everything about this post! The photos, the recipe- EVERYTHING. Lovely post, Robin!
March 18, 2010 at 10:29 pm
My grandma (who is very Irish) always says you need to cut the crosses in the top to let the devil out. I’m not entirely sure how he got in there..
March 19, 2010 at 10:29 am
Ha! Thanks for sharing that, Dana. :D
March 21, 2010 at 12:58 am
Alright. You’re calling this soda bread. Why then is there baking POWDER in the recipe? Doesn’t the soda and buttermilk combo leaven enough? I’ve check traditional recipes and an Irish grandmother, and they say nonce to the baking powder. It’s SODA bread said gran
March 21, 2010 at 12:05 pm
If you read the post, I do mention that it’s totally not authentic.
(And I’ve checked TWO Irish grandmothers, and they liked the brown butter… Italian grandmothers who were checked agree.) ;)
March 22, 2010 at 11:23 am
I made this bread this weekend for a belated St. Patrick’s Day celebration–and my dinner guests (all hungry college students) LOVED it. It’s beautifully fragrant, soft, and flavorful. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
March 22, 2010 at 9:00 pm
Thanks for flagging this recipe. My wife and I agree it’s the best soda bread recipe we’ve seen. And our daughter, who just turned 1, can’t get enough of it.
January 10, 2011 at 2:01 pm
I made this last night to serve alongside some potato-leek soup, and it was really fantastic. As another person who shies away from the caraway-raisin variety of soda bread, this was just perfect. My version didn’t look nearly as good as the one above, and it didn’t rise quite as much, but I think this has to do with my own novice bread-making abilities. And, since it still tasted delicious, I think it must be fairly foolproof. Thanks for sharing – its a keeper for sure.
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